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Underground eXperts United File 265
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Underground eXperts United
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[ DMV & 2D Bar Codes ] [ By Mario ]
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DMV & 2D Bar Codes
by Mario
We will soon see yet another Big Brother mechanism in the making. However
this one, unlike the short lived Clipper chip seems to be a very silent
threat to our valued privacy. While we may have forseen elements of this
threat in our previous discussions, we are now on the verge of their cruel
implementation.
There is perhaphs nothing new in the idea of a "National ID card" to most
of the veteran Cpunx, perhaps only a few of you haven't heard of this.
Perhaps also few of us have missed the AT&T commercial where a kid walks
up to an ATM style kiosk and renews his drivers license.
Many of us are already aware of the evil privacy invading DMV's, their
disregard for our privacy in giving out our names and addresses and other
personal information (at least in some states...) But how many of us
know of the pending merging of virtually all of our records?
Two weeks ago, I attended a presentation for a 2D Bar code system called
PDF-417 (read Pee Dee Eff Four Seventeen.) This presentation was aimed at
city level government MIS staff. The presenting company, Symbol Technology
offered a very Big Brotheresque presentation for this bar code.
On the surface, the bar code looks like a 3D random dot pattern stereogram
with a set of ordinary bar code-looking start and end sequences. That is
envision a rectangular bar code whose center has been replace by random
dots leaving the first two or three bars on the left and on the right
sides.
PDF417 stands for Portable Data File, and it quite is. The presentation
showed this format can hold upto 11Kbytes of data per bar code. Each PDF
bar code can be stretched into thin vertically or horizontally oriented
rectangles or left as a square. Several of these can fit on an ID sized
card, i.e. a driver's license. With a good quality fax (200dpi or better)
they can be sent over a fax. Further, they are very stable and resistant
to harm. Several examples were shown of bar codes with bullet sized holes
in them which were claimed to be readable, as well as a few samples with a
diagonal torn from the lower left end to the top right end.
An 11Kb of data may not seem like a lot, however by balancing the level of
redundant error correction information versus stored data and using good
data compression systems, two of these PDF417 codes can store plenty of
information, any of it available to >anyone< you show your card to... at
least the portions of which are not encrypted.
Most importanly, while Smart Cards are very expensive, PDF417's are dirt
cheap to print. Any good quality 24 pin dot matrix printer is certainly
capable of producting ID cards. A cheap XT with a network connection, a
decent but cheap printer, perhaps a hand held scanner/polaroid camera and
a card laminator are enough to produce such cards. On the other hand, a
smart card will require an on board chip which needs to be encoded and
inserted in the card.
Encryption:
The presentation said that portions of the PDF417's could be encrypted to
hold certain private information to which only DMV's or other entities
would have the key to. This way, anyone can scan your card, but some of
your information will be hidden. Now whether or not someone breaks into
the DMV's and grabs the private key on the other end will become an issue
which was not presented.
In fact, it seems most of our city government folks are quite in the dark
about encryption. They belive all of it can be broken and do not trust it
which is in a way good for our privacy and the lack of theirs. However,
their neglect of strong encryption may cause several problems in terms of
the security of the encrypted fields: if implemented ass backards, and
we know Uncle Sam usually does things ass backwards, don't we? Let us not
forget that this was only Symbol Technology's suggestion. Knowing the
DMV's, there will probably be no encrypted data. Digital Signatures to
protect against forgeries perhaps, but little privacy protection.
Your Mug Shot & John Hancock:
Samples were shown of various test DMV cards in various states containing
digitized pictures, signatures, as well as standard run of the mill info
such as your full name, address, phone number, license number, etc. The
idea was that a cop could pull you over (or any other official of state
or bank, or store clerk, etc.) scan your ID card and see if the picture
matches the stored picture in the bar code and your face. Ditto for the
signature. In fact you can expect to see new ID's sporting these codes
soon since Symbol is "working with all major ID card manufacturers."
This is not vaporware, this type of bar codes have been used by the DoD
as ID's.
Welfare Cards:
These will be used for welfare cards. Wether they will be separate cards
or part of your drivers license wasn't clear by the presentation. You can
bet that they have evangelized many DMV's and government agencies around
the country with the same speech.
(Fingerprints were also shown - possible application - match your paw
prints to the ones stored in encrypted form on the bar code using a card
scanner/finger print scanner machine which also matches them to a neat
database via a network.)
DMV Invitations:
One of the less interesting things was that your DMV invitations to
renew your license would be sent on a postcard sporting a bar code
without which they would not allow you to renew your card. The usual do
not bend, stape, or spindle shown on punch cards will no longer apply as
these are almost indestructible, and it would be in your interest to not
harm them.
Buying Guns:
Your drivers license will hold a hidden encrypted field to which gun
dealers will have a machine that will hold the key to. By swiping your
card, or inserting your card in the device, a green light would indicate
that you can infact purchase a gun, a red would indicate you are either a
person with a past criminal record, or soon enough a political danger...
Supposedly, this will remove the one day wait for hand-guns. So now the
right to bear arms is linked to your drivers license.
DMV's & Voting:
By '96 all DMV's will be required to have give drivers access to something
called the Motor Voter System. This will give you the "right" to register
to vote when you renew your license. We now have a political link between
you and your right to drive... your right to vote.
DMV's & Your Bank:
DMV's will >SELL< your records to your bank. Supposedly, they will claim
that this information will be used to protect your bank accounts by giving
your bank your photo, etc. as proof of ID. Let us not forget that the IRS
is pushing to have full access to your bank accounts. We now have a link
between the IRS, your bank, and your drivers license. You can bet your
credit cards will also be linked in this nasty soup.
DMV's & All Insurance:
Not just drivers insurance will be linked to your driver's license, but
your health insurance as well. In fact, your entire family's insurance
will be linked!!! Their presenter said "Two full pages of medical info
plus the doctor's name."
Your Car & The Parking Meter:
Should you deserve a parking ticket, your windshield will sport a nifty
little PDF417 with all your registration info. If you happen to have put
too few quarters in the parking meter, not to worry, the parking meter
will sport a PDF417 bar code as well. A portable scanner will grab
your info and the info off the parking meter. If the scanner has a built
in printer - and they will eventually - you'll get parking tickets within
less than four seconds of a meter maid's time..
This is a really neat technology, but as an enemy to privacy it is a far
more insidious enemy than clipper was. WHEN, not IF, these DMV based
ID's are in place, it will be near impossible to gain much of your valued
privacy.
A National Health Care ID card as we previously thought will not be the
future... If you drive, and very few can live in today's society without
the privlidge of driving (I am one of those few as I rely on the subways)
you are already carrying the National ID Card from Big Brother, Inc.
Symbol Technology sees a great boom in PDF417, but the odd twist is that
while they make scanners, they are not selling them to the government,
nor are they offering anything other than lip service and evangelism.
They are opening the eyes of sleepy, DMV drones to the possibility of
Big Brother Hell, and they are doing a good job. They will eventually
profit from this as their distributors sell the DMV's scanners and third
party custom written apps for the DMV's databases... And it does seem as
if the DMV is licking its ugly lips. (The AAMV Association of American
Motor Vehicles is the central hierarchy for all the DMV's. They are
interested in this technology and it is in use in some states as a pilot
program.)
We have yet another battle on our hands. :-I
Copyright (C) 1995 by Ray Arachelian, All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Permitted by any means as long as the text and
copyright notice are kept intact.
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uXu #265 Underground eXperts United 1995 uXu #265
Call SECRET TECTONICS -> +49-40-823326
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